hey guys, my first post here. I am looking for a 9 passenger diesel excursion, but it seems 99 percent of the 9 passenger excursions were 5.4s. Does anyone have any idea how involved or pricey it would be to buy the front bench and swap it out with the buckets and center console? I need the extra seat for my family since we do foster care. The van just is not big enough, and I don't want an old church van! Thanks guys for your help!
Nigel<><

 

Dude, I assume there is a whole bunch of benches out there who will love the buckets. Try local free ad's for a complete swap. I have not played with the Excursion yet, but I will assume that if you aquire all brackets it should go right in. If you can git your eyes on a bench unit, bring a tape measure and verify mounting positions.
I just dropped in a '96 bench into my '76 and it fits well. I added spacers (from Home Depot) and got the right tilt and height that I wanted.

 

There are a few ways to go here.

1. You can buy the 20% section (center) seat for usually around $100 off ebay. It bolts right in.

However, a few "downsides".

a. You'll lose the rear speakers from your radio when you unplug the rear audio controls. So you'll have to keep that portion plugged in & stuck under the seat. You can buy a Ford single-media radio and not have any problems, though.

b. You'll have to remove the armrests on the captain's chairs and the stop that is welded on. You'll then be left with a hole in the fabric.


Good part is that you can hock that center console and dual media radio with rear audio controls in a heartbeat on ebay and virtually name your price! (Of course, that guy will have to get the harness from Ford to make it all work but... )

2. You may be able to hit up a local Super Duty owner who has the front seat you want and see if he'll trade.

3. Buying a whole new front seat (40/20/40) set off ebay will run you about 800-1000 bucks after shipping. That's an average of course.

4. There is always the option of www.littleseats.com . It adds 2 more seats behind the third row and is probably better in the long run.

I was stoked when I saw my local dealer had a 2005 9-passenger V10 back when Ford did it's Friends and Family Plan. It was the main thing I wanted to change in my 2000 Excursion. But having had 9 people in there on more than a few occasions, I can say that I miss having an armrest when there is a person there. It's great for ocasional family visits, toting groups of people around etc. but not for everyday use.

Welcome to FTE! And thanks for being a Foster parent! We need more!!!

 

I wish I could help you out more since it sounds like double-buckleing is out of the question but it really isn't hard to fit 8 in the back.

 

Lose the two guys and I'd be in heaven!

 

Monsta,
THanks for the info on the little seats. I think that is the route we will go. That way I have way more to chose from. Thanks for your help guys.
nigel<><